


you, on my mind

by likeuwuahh



Series: fluff is good for the heart [26]
Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, mina having a crush on tzuyu, soft babies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:53:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28610874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likeuwuahh/pseuds/likeuwuahh
Summary: mina isn't one to be able to say no to people. that's how she got into a mess of people wanting things from her. her friends have had enough.there's a new student who joins her class and suddenly, mina's mind blanks. who is this person who sits next to her of all people?oh, just the most one of the most popular students on campus.chou tzuyu.
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Myoui Mina, Hirai Momo/Minatozaki Sana, background samo though
Series: fluff is good for the heart [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1242470
Comments: 3
Kudos: 194





	you, on my mind

**Author's Note:**

> kept thinking of how shy mina gets when she has to look at tzuyu

mina scrambles to finish the last of her notes as their lesson comes to an end, making sure she has everything written down. she flexes her cramping fingers and drops her pen, hoping for the piercing ache to settle down. she has a minute to herself before the tutor announces for their dismissal and a few girls are already near her, surrounding mina, offering sweet smiles mina can see through. it’s the same girls every single time. she’s not sure how they’re getting through university when they have to approach mina almost every day.

“hey mina, can we take photos of your notes?”

of course, mina will say yes. she doesn’t have it in her heart to deny their request. she sits back down as they copy her work, the room emptying around them. from the corner of her eye, she spots her two best friends waiting patiently by the door. she’ll definitely be getting an earful from them when she walks out of this class. she loves momo and sana to death and they use that as their chance to be protective of mina in almost everything that she does. she’s their little _baby_ as they’ve coined it.

“thanks. you’re the best.”

the girls leave and mina slumps against her chair, wondering how she came to be in this spot. they have over a year left until they graduate but by far, she feels as if this year has been the most exhausting. mina used to be able to blend into the background of her classes, focusing on her work and then leaving. but, somehow, she became tangled in this mess, stemming from her inability to refuse people’s requests and wishes. it’s utterly unfair and yet mina hasn’t once denied offering her notes to these girls. no matter how many times her friends tell her to stand up for herself, she can’t. too quiet. not wanting to create a scene.

honestly, mina just wants to finish her degree and never see her classmates again. and, she’s almost there. she can do this – hold on until she receives her graduation certificate.

“mitang, again?” sana sighs heavily as she sidles up next to mina, grabbing her bag for her. “i _really_ think you should lodge a formal complaint. this is completely unfair and it’s basically cheating. it’s taking a clear toll on you!”

“i’ll be fine. it’ll only be for a little while longer anyway.” mina shakes her head as she leaves with the two of them.

“i don’t usually side with sana, but i agree.” sana bumps into momo as she teases her, making mina giggle. “is there no one you can sit with who’ll help you out with this?”

“all my classmates have remained the same for the past year. they might rotate occasionally but i’m somehow given the best luck with these girls being in all of my classes.” mina grumbles.

“if only we didn’t change our degrees. i wouldn’t let anyone come close.” sana furrows her eyebrows. initially, the three of them were studying together, which is how they met. but, momo and sana realised they didn’t like their coursework as much as they’d expected and transferred to another which they’re enrolled in now.

“don’t say that. your studies are more important. i want you guys to do something that you enjoy rather than suffer through.” mina pinches sana’s right cheek.

“actually, we can pick up an elective or two in our next semester. it’ll be great if sana and i can join you then. that works out well for all of us.” momo reminds them all.

/

with the start of the new semester, mina feels comfortable knowing that she’ll have her friends with her in one of her classes, at least. she waits patiently outside her room door, searching the crowd for momo and sana. many of the students are whispering to each other, most likely catching up after their break.

“oh, mitang.” sana runs over to mina, engulfing her in a hug. “it’s so good to see you again.”

“we literally saw her three days ago, sana.” momo guffaws. she tugs sana away and hugs mina too.

“yeah, but three days is too long. i always need to see mina.” sana sulks, crossing her arms over her chest

mina giggles at the two, always amused by their bickering.

“oh, right! did you hear? there’s going to be a new student in this class. chou tzuyu. apparently, she picked up an elective and chose this unit.” sana gushes over the news. mina assumes that’s what everyone has been talking about in their hushed tones.

“who?” mina frowns, never having heard the name before.

“you don’t know _chou tzuyu?_ ” momo does a double take. “i knew you keep to yourself almost all the time with these things but i thought you’d know who tzuyu is.”

she looks between the two girls, waiting for them to explain why she should know who this person is. but, before they can tell her anything, their tutor ushers them all inside the class.

momo and sana sit next to mina, but there’s still an empty spot remaining beside her. usually, no one sits next to her unless they want something. she counts down to the time the class starts, praying no one sits next to her.

though, it seems like her luck falls short. someone sits next to her. maybe if mina refuses to look up, they’ll go away. she closes her eyes and ignores the presence. the person doesn’t move. instead, sana drives her elbow into mina’s right side, catching her off-guard.

she shoots a glare towards her friend, who only offers a sheepish smile. sana points down to the scribbled paper next to mina.

_so, it seems like you’ve garnered some attention_

mina’s confusion is plastered across her face as she looks back at sana. what does she mean?

_mitang, there’s someone sitting next to you, you know that right? it’s tzuyu._

she panics, wondering why the new girl chose to sit next to her of all people. there are so many other seats available. sensing mina’s panic, sana scribbles on the paper again.

_it’s okay, this is a good thing._

how could it be a good thing? just as she’s about to ask sana, the class begins, leaving her questions unanswered. she doesn’t talk to tzuyu the entire duration of the lesson.

(but, she does peek at her from the corner of her eyes and _holy crap_ , she’s the definition of ethereal)

mina is the first one to leave the class this time, hurrying out of there with momo and sana rushing to join her. she’s well aware of the stares, surprised gasps as this person had chosen to sit next to her. mina wants to know who she is. why does everyone know who she is but mina herself?

“mina, hold up.” momo holds onto mina to keep her from walking faster. “everyone is long gone.”

“look at how shy she is, oh my god.” sana gushes, pinching mina’s cheeks. she tries to swat sana’s hands away with much difficulty.

“okay, who is this tzuyu person?” mina is eager to know more about the enigma behind her popularity.

it turns out that chou tzuyu is one of the most popular girls on their campus. studying acting, she’s well known for her paramount skills in the area and her flawless delivery, leaving onlookers speechless. that explains why mina knows nothing about her. but, it’s utterly confusing as to why she’d chosen this unit out of all the possible electives available. it’s on the other end of the spectrum.

“you know what, i think this is a great start. you should always sit next to tzuyu.” sana clicks her fingers as an idea crosses over her mind. “people will leave you alone since most are intimidated by her presence.”

“it’s not like i sat next to her. i can’t do that.” mina shakes her head.

“there’s no need for that. i think tzuyu will sit next to you herself.” sana chuckles, wrapping her hands around mina to guide her to their dorm room.

in the end, mina is left more confused than she’s ever been.

/

sana’s words end up being true. every lesson they have, tzuyu finds mina and chooses to sit next to her. they never speak, always sitting in silence throughout their lessons. that doesn’t stop mina from observing tzuyu when she thinks she isn’t looking.

no one has approached mina for almost two weeks. that’s definitely a personal achievement. though, she’s noticed the same girls looking at her, wanting to take mina’s work like they always do. she thinks it’s only a matter of time before they gain the courage again. she returns her focus on her fellow neighbour. she’s busy twirling a pen between her fingers as she busies herself reading their notes for class.

when mina turns her attention back to her own work, she catches sana’s eye, who’s smiling at her teasingly. oh, she’s never going to live that down, is she?

“so, mitang has a crush, does she?” sana playfully points out as they leave class.

“what?” momo gasps, a look of mock betrayal flashing across her face. “you didn’t tell me?”

“i do _not_ have a crush.” mina grumbles, defending herself stronger than she expected.

“i caught her making googly eyes at tzuyu.” sana wriggles her eyebrows. mina pouts and it’s enough for sana to relent her teasing.

“having a crush on tzuyu is valid, mina. don’t worry.” momo adds in, patting mina’s head.

“oh my god. i don’t have a crush on tzuyu! i was just thinking and staring. you know i do that all the time.” mina stomps her feet.

“you’re so cute when you try to deny things.” sana coos. “okay, we’ll drop it for now. or else i’m sure we’re going to have a sulking mitang to deal with all day.”

later that night, mina educates herself on everything about chou tzuyu. she’ll never admit to anyone that she spent hours looking through her social media, stumped by not only her follower count, but by her own lack of knowledge of tzuyu’s existence. the more she reads about tzuyu, the more she’s intrigued. there’s more to her than mina could even comprehend and she thinks she’s begun peeling off the top layer.

(and, yes, tzuyu is _crazy_ beautiful and _amazing_ at everything and she has _so_ many pet dogs. mina is in awe)

/

the peacefulness of being undisturbed in class lasts one more week before mina is approached again. the girls hover right near her desk, waiting for mina to look up. she knows she can’t avoid them now.

“hi mina.” one of the girls smile sweetly at her.

“can i help you?” mina tries to sound strong.

“i was wondering if i could see how you’re going with your assignment? you’re done right? you can email it to me.”

she senses tzuyu looking up for the first time that lesson, gaze flitting between the girls and her. the tips of mina’s ears turn pink at the attention but she thinks ignorance is bliss, pretending she’s unaware of tzuyu’s gaze. she focuses on the girls in front of her, wanting them to leave her. for once, mina feels a rush of courage to suggest something else.

“maybe i could help–”

“mina, surely it’d be easier for you to send it. less of your time wasted on unnecessary things.”

she wants to roll her eyes at the reasoning. as if these girls believed even a small part of what the rubbish they were spouting.

“i’ll send it after class.”

but the girls have walked away before mina can even start her sentence, not wanting to hear the refusal from her.

/

the following week, the girls approach her again and mina knows she’s set for the semester. these girls will bother her until they all graduate. she grumbles under her breath as they walk towards her, strutting like they owned the path they walk on.

“mina!”

she wants to puke at the shrill voice that echoes in her ear. over-the-top and excessive, mina knows it’s utterly fake. still, she puts on a fake smile, not wanting to be on their bad side. she’s watched too many dramas with her friends to know that that’s where things go wrong. she’s tried to stand up to it and it’s failed.

“i’m sorry, but can you leave? i don’t want anyone near my table.” tzuyu stops the girls from approaching before they can open their mouth. “and i mean, never.” the coldness in her voice is sharp, settling over the room quickly.

the girls stare at tzuyu, dumbstruck by her attitude. they’ve never been silenced by anyone in their years of studying at the university. mina watches with bated breath. would they dare to say anything against this girl, the most popular student in the university?

they choose to be smart and walk away, mina sighing in relief when they’re no longer in her vicinity. she turns to thank tzuyu, who’s already looking at her with a frown between her eyebrows.

“are they always like that?” tzuyu is still shooting daggers at the girls.

“past few years, yes.” mina nods.

“ _years_ ?” tzuyu gasps. “i can’t say that it’s easy to turn them down. i know how hard it is to have your voice heard around people like them. they don’t like hearing the word _no_. leaves you with no choice but to agree. thrives off your fear.”

mina raises her eyebrows as tzuyu continues to rant, seeming to be speaking from experience. she’s clearly riled up and mina’s hanging on to every word she’s saying.

it takes a minute or two for tzuyu to freeze, realising she’d been talking mina’s ear off. she stutters in an attempt to justify herself and mina smiles, shaking her head. if she’s to be honest, listening to tzuyu speak had definitely been an enlightening experience. “i feel like you’re about to apologise when you really don’t need to. it’s tough finding people who understand what i’ve been going through, so, thank you.”

“i feel like i blabbed nonsense. i’m really sorry. i can easily go off-topic when i’m riled up about this mistreatment. it’s common when you want to keep to yourself. people think of you as an easy target.” tzuyu sighs. “worse is that i can’t even apologise properly since i didn’t introduce myself at the start of the semester. i’m tzuyu.”

“i’m mina.” mina shyly slides her hand through tzuyu’s to shake it.

she notices sana wiggling her eyebrows from the corner of her eyes and mina smacks her as subtly as she can. why is she not surprised her best friend is teasing her in a moment like this? sana giggles but relents, moving to talk to momo.

“from now on, we’re going to make sure they don’t bother you again.” tzuyu declares, motivating mina, who nods enthusiastically.

and _that’s_ how mina is roped into a meeting with tzuyu. she spends a few hours with her, listens to the advice tzuyu gives about how to say no to the girls. if only mina could listen to tzuyu talking instead of spending that time staring at her in amazement an awe.

but, then, that one meeting turns into two. two turns into three and soon enough, mina sees more of tzuyu than momo and sana. somehow, in the middle of meeting so frequently, the two of them realise that they have more in common than they expected. truthfully, mina has never clicked with someone so fast and it’s incredibly scary and wonderful at the same time.

just yesterday, they were arguing about the best and worst parts of their favourite movies and it went on for _hours_. they had to agree on common ground before leaving because tzuyu wouldn’t stop sulking.

(she laughs about it now like she hadn’t been ready to tear tzuyu to shreds)

the more mina spends time with tzuyu, she unravels the layers that make who she is. the more she spends time with her, she picks up on the little things about her. the things that make her smile. the things that make her angry. the things she loves to do. whatever she sees only makes mina realise that it’s no longer a crush that she’s harbouring for tzuyu. it’s definitely more.

as their class finishes, mina is about to turn to face tzuyu, but she’s stopped in her tracks.

“mitang, you’re hanging out with us today. we haven’t seen you in weeks.” sana tugs mina’s arm as they leave class.

“but tzuyu–”

“tzuyu is busy today. she already left. see?” sana points to the empty table where tzuyu had been. “let’s go out for dinner.”

mina pouts, so used to her daily meetings with tzuyu. but she misses spending time with momo and sana too.

“never thought i’d see minaring be so smitten with someone in our entire life.” momo laughs, patting mina’s head. she whines at the accusation but doesn’t say anything to refute it. it’s not like she can deny the truth anymore.

“and no denial? what universe are we in?” sana gasps as she teases mina further.

“it’s not like you two are going to stop bothering me about it. there’s no point in lying anymore.” mina scrunches up her nose.

“now we can bother you about the next step.” sana’s excitement is off the charts as soon as mina accepts her feelings. “to confess.”

momo hi-fives her as she cheers, agreeing to her girlfriend’s words. “that’s perfect. we’ll help you through it.”

“maybe i should just go back home.” mina stops in her tracks, glaring at her two best friends.

“okay, okay. we’re sorry. how about we talk about what we’re here for, actually?” momo nudges sana, getting her to talk.

“oh, you know how i’ve been working on my play in our acting society? we’re finally booked in to perform!” sana announces.

mina immediately reaches over to hug her, extremely proud of her hard work. “no way! when is it? i can’t wait to go. you’re the lead, right?”

“i have front seat tickets for the two most important people in my life.” sana grins, pulling out them out of her bag to give to mina and momo. “i’m sure you’ll enjoy it mitang.”

“of course, i will. you’re in it and you’ve always been an outstanding actress.” mina compliments. “that’s how you got us to piggyback you when you pretended to be hurt. we’ve all witnessed your glow up.”

momo doubles over in laughter at mina’s savage comment, clearly avenging herself from the non-stop teasing from sana. still, sana whines at the sudden attack. however, momo is quick to pacify her with a kiss.

mina doesn’t know what she did to deserve them, but they’re the best part of her life.

/

the following class is where mina would say things go sideways. she knew things could always take a turn between herself and tzuyu, but she hadn’t expected their lesson to be the reason.

their tutor announces their topic of discussion for the day. making decisions with the heart versus making decisions with the mind. as soon as she hears them, mina knows which one she’d favour.

of course, the mind. mina has always believed in mind over heart. heart causes pain, mind prevents the pain. heart makes mistakes, mind stops the mistakes. her list of reasons are endless.

“now, let’s pick two teams. for heart or for mind. can you sort yourself into your respective groups.” the tutor announces.

mina isn’t surprised when momo and sana immediately shuffle over to her opposite side, sticking out their tongues at her as she remains with those who believe in the mind. though, she’s shocked to see tzuyu there too.

“alright, first argument. let’s go team heart.”

tzuyu is the one to raise her hand, wanting to speak up first. “i think making decisions with your heart has the best outcomes. generally speaking, there’s a greater satisfaction from listening to your heart compared to your mind.”

mina contemplates her words, finding her thoughts to be reflecting her innocence.

the tutor looks to the other side for their rebuttal.

“but, it isn’t always happiness that comes with choosing the heart. if that was the case, would we have heartbreaks?” mina points out, arguing against it.

“good points girls. let’s see if our views change when we read a text. i’ll send around a copy of this poem, _the passionate shepherd to his love_.”

as soon as mina reads the poem, she shakes her head. it’s filled with notions of pure love and promises of endless happiness. it’s impossible for it to exist. there’s some shifting around in the classroom as the students move across to change their stance.

“now, what do you think? would you stay by the shepherd’s side and stay like he asks?”

“i would. i think it’s a very romantic approach to expressing your feelings. offering explanations or insights into reasons why one should stay with you. it’s heart-warming and i think it would be perfect idealistically.” tzuyu is again the one to argue first, staring at mina, as if she’s waiting for her response.

“i wouldn’t stay by his side. words don’t provide comfort like actions should. he proclaims that he loves you and wants you to stay with him but only talks about the pleasures they’ll have together. it’s unrealistic. is there only happiness in living by the person’s side? what about the dangers? he doesn’t mention anything about them. following your heart in this instance wouldn’t be beneficial.” mina rebutts confidently. she’s never been one to listen to flowery words from a man.

the continue to bicker back and forth, unrelenting as they argue for their own thoughts and beliefs; tzuyu’s innocence and mina’s logical thinking.

for a mere moment, mina believes she sees a speck of disappointment flash in tzuyu’s eyes, but it disappears. had she been too forthcoming in her views about this?

once mina is declared as the winner for the debate, the two of them sit beside each other awkwardly.

it’s amazing how this one debate changes everything in an instant. they can’t even look at each other in the eye.

/

the lessons now are quiet and boring. mina is dazed out most of the time, regret pooling in the pit of her stomach. she returns to the discourse every single time and chastises herself. look at what she’s done now.

she doesn’t know how to fix this.

/

the day of the play, at first, mina didn’t want to come. she still had a stormy cloud hovering over her head. but, it’s for sana. and for sana, mina would come to see her.

as they enter, momo calls mina to meet before they sit down. apparently, when your girlfriend is the lead, you’re allowed to go behind the curtains before the show begins. though, mina’s sure that momo’s reasoning is more on the path of seeing sana in her outfit and stealing kisses, rather than seeing what the scene looks like.

ten minutes in, mina has to physically drag momo out of there so sana can prepare herself. it always amazes her how the two of them are so clingy yet constantly bickering.

the two of them find their seats in the front row, eagerly awaiting sana’s performance.

“i swear i know the whole dialogue by heart now. maybe i should try to do acting since i’ve been practicing with sana so much.” momo laughs as the curtains open.

mina’s jaw drops as soon as it begins. oh god. she hadn’t prepared her heart for this at all.

“is that…” mina can’t bring herself to speak.

“wait, don’t tell me you didn’t know she’s part of the show?” momo gasps as she follows mina’s gaze, locked onto tzuyu.

“makes sense why she’s been absent this week.” mina shakes her head. it completely slipped her mind that tzuyu is studying acting. of course, she’d be part of the acting society too. ever since the debate, they’d barely talked to each other. this is the first time mina has seen her properly.

as tzuyu begins her scene, mina is flabbergasted by her abilities. it’s almost like she’s another person. comparing the time the two of them spend together to tzuyu now, only solidifies how much talent she has. mina is used to her goofiness and nerdy behaviour. this is completely flipped and there’s utmost pride swelling in her chest from watching tzuyu like this, especially after getting to know her.

“she’s amazing.” mina mutters to herself.

the happiness quickly disperses moments later as she watches sana bring tzuyu into her arms. okay, she’d definitely _not_ been expecting that. mina huffs under her breath as she watches the two invest themselves in their characters, deeply in love with each other.

“are you not bothered with this?” mina asks momo, grumbling.

momo raises an eyebrow, surprised by the question before it sinks in. “oh my god! oh my god, no way.”

mina shushes her, smacking her arm. “do not say a word.”

“it’s not like i’m going to run to sana after the show and tell her that you were jealous of her and tzuyu acting romantically on stage.” momo grins.

“one, that’s awfully specific and two, you will not. she’s never going to let it go.” mina squints at momo, silently threatening her.

“i’m proud of you. look at you fighting for what you want. tzuyu has been teaching you very well, i see.” mina blushes at momo’s words, caught by surprise.

“sana has corrupted you.” mina crosses her arms over her chest, sulking. “i can’t believe they’re acting together and sana never told me.”

when momo is silent, she knows that means trouble. mina turns to see her best friend recording her whining. she ignores the temptation to snatch her phone off her and turns to face the stage again. her heart stutters in her chest.

tzuyu locks eyes with her from stage, surprise written across her face. but just as they’re about to end the scene, she sneakily waves at mina, smiling softly.

does that mean things are okay? mina doesn’t know what to make of the action.

this time, when the show ends, it’s not momo who’s enthusiastically trying to go backstage. mina pushes through the crowd. she doesn’t know what she’s going to say, honestly. she just wants to see tzuyu, congratulate her. ask her about what went on earlier on stage.

(and then later, annoy sana about the whole thing too)

“tzuyu’s down the hall. you’ll see her name on the door.” sana pushes mina into the direction she needs to go. before mina can say anything, both sana and momo are gone, leaving her alone in the hallway.

she walks slowly, looking at each of the doors that have names of people written on them. mina finds tzuyu’s room right at the end, separated from everyone else. she draws in a deep breath as she lifts her fist to knock on the door.

“come in.” tzuyu calls from inside. mina slowly opens the door, peeking her head in. “mina!”

mina’s heart somersaults in her chest at how quickly tzuyu’s frown forms into a grin, one she’s missed for so long now. tzuyu ushers her inside, ecstatic about her presence. mina isn’t sure if she has the heart to tell her that it hadn’t been her intention to come to the show for her.

“don’t give me that look. i know you were surprised to see me here, just like i was to see you.” tzuyu chuckles. “i’m more than grateful that you chose to come see me after the show. especially after the way i’ve been acting. i’m so sorry about that.”

“it’s okay. i’m sorry about it all too. honestly, i think it was both of us. we didn’t deal with our views well.” mina shakes her head, shooting down tzuyu’s apology.

“no, i’m really sorry. i hope you can forgive me.” tzuyu pouts and it’s almost as if she’s sulking.

mina chuckles and reaches over, hugging her. she chooses to change the subject, knowing they’ll be in a constant loop if they continue to apologise. “you did well. i’m so proud of you.” mina compliments, smiling widely. “i’ve never been so interested in a performance before.”

“was it the plot or was it me?” tzuyu teases, catching mina off-guard with her straight-forwardness. she rolls her eyes when tzuyu erupts in laughter. “i’m just kidding. it was really nice to have a familiar face in the crowd.”

“next time, let me know please. that way i can be more prepared.” mina pouts unconsciously.

suddenly, tzuyu shuffles closer, lowering her head to look at mina directly. her brain short-circuits, unable to process anything with the sudden change. mina looks to the floor in an attempt to hide her flustered state.

“how about we go out for dinner instead? you still need to tell me how you ended up at the show today.” tzuyu suggests.

mina nods eagerly, never wanting to lose the chance to spend some time with tzuyu. her calmness is a major change from hanging out with momo and sana. mina doesn’t want to be a third wheel, especially to those two when they’re being clingy.

before she can choose a place, tzuyu threads their fingers together and guides her out.

if she hadn’t been sure before, she is now. mina’s heart is long gone, right into the hands of none other than this wonderful person; chou tzuyu.

/

somehow, mina avoids being teased by her friends about her disappearance after the show and she’s thankful. she’s not quite sure how she’d be deal with their excitement over how sweet tzuyu had been all evening, treating her with utmost care. it’s _almost_ as if she might be feeling the same about mina. but, she’s not going to think much of it. mina would rather not give herself more hope.

“mina, it’s been so long since we’ve been able to catch you alone. we missed talking to you.”

no, she’s not in the mood to deal with these girls again. the last lesson of the semester just finished and mina would rather talk to anyone but them. tzuyu hasn’t even returned to class yet, so, mina has to put her practice into action today.

“what can i help you with?” mina doesn’t look up from her work. _they seek attention. don’t give it to them straight away._

“it’s the end of the semester and since you’re always so nice, you can help us out one last time, right? can we have your notes?”

mina keeps herself calm and looks up, smiling at the girls. _try to let them down nicely._ “sorry, i can’t do that.”

the girls look puzzled with mina’s response, believing that they’d be able to cheat off her. the classroom is quiet, momo and sana silently cheering mina on for her courageous efforts. she still has one last thing to say. _nail them with reasoning as to why you said no._

“i’ve let you take my work for years. i don’t think it’s necessary, really. how will you girls pass if you don’t do your own things? maybe, if you _actually_ study and pay attention, you’ll understand what’s going on and wouldn’t need me. we’re not in high school. it’s almost like you need to be spoon-fed at this age.” mina puts the girls in their place with her savageness. “i hope you never approach me again with this nonsense.”

as soon as the girls walk away, the room erupts with cheers and whoops. momo and sana are quick to reach over to hug her, cooing over her and expressing their utmost pride in her efforts. she spots tzuyu, lingering at the back of the classroom, smiling proudly at her. mina slips out of her friends’ arms and walks over to tzuyu shyly.

“you did well. i’m proud of you.” tzuyu compliments. “i bet you had a good teacher.”

“the best, actually. i don’t think anyone can come close.” mina plays along, not letting herself fall behind in being able to tease her.

tzuyu raises her eyebrows, clearly surprised with how well mina responded to her. before she can say anything though, mina loops her arms around tzuyu, hugging her tightly.

“thank you for being part of this class and helping me this semester.” mina mumbles. she feels tzuyu tighten her arms around her and mina basks in it, unwilling to let go. she’d never expected to form a bond as precious as the one she shares with tzuyu.

“we’re going to meet again, right?”

it’s the first time mina’s ever heard such insecurity laced in tzuyu’s voice. the thought of not spending time with her makes her heart ache. she doesn’t think she can bear it. she pulls back, feels utterly destroyed at the pure sadness evident in tzuyu’s eyes.

“would you rather get rid of me?” mina smiles, loving how the teasing glint returns so quickly.

“i totally get why you wouldn’t want to leave me.” tzuyu laughs, sidling against mina as they walk out of class. “i’ll message you after my last class. thank you for being the best desk mate i’ve ever had mina.”

mina musters the brightest smile she can as tzuyu heads off. her shoulders sag immediately once she’s out of sight. she places a hand over her heart, apologises under her breath. maybe, if she had the courage, she could’ve said something.

“mitang!” sana cheerily slots their hands together. “how did it go?”

“you know how it went.” mina rolls her eyes, knowing sana had been watching from the side.

“i still think you two should talk about it.” momo sighs. “you’re almost as hopeless as sana. but sana was worse.”

“hey! don’t rope me into this. i was scared.” sana pouts.

well, yes, mina is too. not saying anything will be safe. she’ll be safe. her relationship will be safe. her heart will be safe.

(she doesn’t know that her friends were already plotting something after seeing that mess)

/

“it’s not like it’s 7-minutes in heaven. it’s just a game of truth, dare or drink!” sana makes an attempt to appeal to mina, pleading for her to stay.

momo and sana’s ingenious plan to unite mina and tzuyu ended up being to have a mini-party in their apartment off-campus. the only thing is that the two girls didn’t inform mina that tzuyu would be there, knowing full well that she’d bail. they’re not trying to meddle in their relationship, it’s just that the mina and tzuyu remind them of themselves. and, they’d lost so much of their time together because of their fear of confessing. mina deserves all the happiness in the world.

“i know if it lands on me, you’ll ask me to confess.” mina grumbles. “i don’t know if i can do it.”

“you don’t have to. we’re not here to force you. even if we do ask, you can easily choose to drink instead.” sana reasons with her. “you saw us both suffer. we don’t want you to go through the same. why do you spend time thinking about all the negative scenarios and strike out the good ones?”

“you say that like i enjoy drinking.” mina huffs. she turns to look at tzuyu, who’s sitting down with some other people who work with sana in acting society. she looks out of focus. will it be wrong for her to confess? maybe the only way for her to move on is for her to do this. accept that things can go either way.

sana’s words echo in her mind. she knows what she’d said is reasonable. though, she’s not going to let a game be the way to speak her feelings. there are too many strangers in this room. too many people who she would rather not want to share this moment with. be it one which is successful or not.

“wait, i know that look. what are you going to do–”

mina walks to where tzuyu is seated, surprise flickering across her face as she wraps her fingers around her wrist gently. “come with me? i need to talk to you.”

without hesitation, tzuyu stands up immediately. mina looks to momo and sana as she points to their room and the two of them nod eagerly, of course giving them access. she guides tzuyu to the balcony, the noise from the party fading in the background.

“is everything okay?” tzuyu’s voice is laced with worry as she intertwines their hands.

she struggles to retrieve her line of thought. “no. wait, yes. sorry, i’m a mess.”

“just take a deep breath.” tzuyu brushes her thumb across mina’s hand.

this is it. _this_ is what drives mina insane. makes her think that there’s a possibility they share the same feelings. tzuyu is always so gentle with her. always reassuring, always there to erase her worries.

with that concern radiating off her in waves, mina’s heart caves. believes this is the perfect moment.

“i like you, tzuyu.” she licks her lips, releases a deep breath. “i’m not expecting you to return my feelings. i just have to get this off my chest because you’re all i can think about. in case this would be my last chance, i want you to know how precious you are. this world is too good for you, tzuyu. you deserve everything.”

mina doesn’t want to look up. welcoming the silence as rejection. but, tzuyu carefully tips her face by her chin and she’s stumped when she looks into her eyes, shimmering with unshed tears. the moonlight cascades over her and mina can only marvel at how ethereal she looks. slowly, tzuyu leans forward, resting her forehead against mina’s.

“i really thought i’d never hear that from you. i made myself believe that everything had been in my head and i was overthinking when i sensed you felt the same.” tzuyu chuckles tearily. “god, i was ready to let this go. ready to let you go back when i hugged you after our last class together. it was the hardest thing for me to do, to turn away from you.” she pauses. “i like you too. probably as soon as i saw you.”

mina had known something had been different about her hug back then. the way she was so hesitant to let go. she opens her mouth to speak again but tzuyu brings her hands to cup mina’s face, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

“after all the heartfelt confessions you just made, you want to kiss my forehead only?” mina teases tzuyu.

“i think i taught you a little too well. you’re sounding so much like me.” tzuyu shakes her head as she swipes her thumbs across mina’s cheekbones.

“is that a good thing or–”

slipping her hand behind mina’s nape, tzuyu draws her in to kiss her. this is where mina realises that it’s the best way to be silenced. she gasps against tzuyu’s lips, soaking in everything about this moment. one they’ll cherish for the times to come. it’s difficult for mina to comprehend that her silly crush months ago has bloomed into this.

the risk her friends encouraged her to take, worth it. the confession they egged her on to make, worth it.

now, the true happiness is within her reach and mina is going to treasure it, forever and more.

**Author's Note:**

> @likeuwuahh on twitter!


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